Here is my classwork blog, where I will be noting down the things I learn in media class with Mr. Nick.
Camera⋆˚❀˖°
Camera work is important because it helps tell the story without words. In movies, they are very careful and precise about their camera work, because it will greatly affect how the audience feels and helps them understand what is happening.
Different camera angles
Here are the different types of camera angles. Each camera angles has their own effect towards the audience:
- Long shot: shows the entire scene from a distance. Often used to show a character in a big setting, or to show multiple things happening at once
- Extreme long shot: shows an extremely wide shot of a large area, e.g. a city. Often used to show how big a place is
- Medium shot: shows a person from the waist up. Often used to focus on a character's action and expression
- Cowboy shot: shows a person from mid-thigh up. Often used in American or old Western movies to show cowboys
- Close up: shows a specific detail very closely. Often used to highlight emotions or important details
- Extreme close up: shows a small detail very closely, e.g a person's eye or mouth
- POV: shows what a character is looking at. Often used to help the audience understand things from the character's perspective
- Over the shoulder: shows a character from the back (shoulder and head) and another character in front of them. Often used to show two characters interacting with each other
- High angle: shows something from a high angle, as if it's looking down on them. Often used to make the character seem smaller or weaker
- Low angle: shows something from a low angle, as if it's looking up on them. Often used to make the character seem stronger and intimidating
- Dutch angle: shows a tilted landscape, so the scene look slightly slanted. Often used to make the audience feel uneasy
- Establishing shot: shows a wide or long shot, usually at the start of a movie. Often used to show the audience where the story is taking place
Different camera movements
Mr. Nick also taught us about different camera movements used in media. Camera movements make scenes look more interesting:
Storyboard*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Storyboards are visual plans that will help us organize how our advertisement will look. Mr. Nick made us practice on making storyboards in class based on a short clip. Here's an example of a great storyboard that I found on the internet:
Sound♡ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ౨ৎ ‧₊ .ᐟ
We also learned about the importance of sound as well as their types. Sound is important because it adds emotion to the scene. For example, when a movie shows a scene of someone crying, it will be accompanied by melancholic or depressing music.
Other than music, sound also includes sound effects. Sound effects can make a scene look more realistic. For example, in fight scenes, dramatic sound effects are usually added after every action (punching, hitting, kicking, etc) to add more tension.
Here are the different types of sounds and their effects:
Non-diegetic tones
Additionally, non-diegetic sounds are broken down into three other categories:
Mise-en-scene𖥔 ݁ ˖
Mise-en-scene refers to the arrangement and design of visual elements within a frame or a scene. It is important because it involves everything you see in a scene. A good mise-en-scene are able to give the audience clues about the character and their backstory. For example, characters who carry guns and are dressed in a police attire can easily be distinguished as a police officer.
This is what's included in mise-en-scene:
Edit𖦹⋆｡˚⋆ฺ
Editing is the process of selecting, arranging and manipulating footage to create a cohesive and engaging story. It is important to movie makers because it helps control the pacing and the mood that they're trying to aim for.
Here are two types of takes and their effects:
Other than that, there are two types of editing, which are continuity and non-continuity editing:
Continuity editing
- Straight cut: a simple transition where one shot immediately changes to the next without any special effects used
- Eye line match: when a shot shows a character looking at something, and the next shot shows what they are looking at
- Shot/reverse shot: when it shows a character looking at something or someone, and then the shot after that shows what they are looking at. Often used in conversations
- Cutaway/insert: a shot that shows something related to the main action, like a closeup of something. Often used to highlight something important or to add information
Non-continuity editing
- Cross cut (parallel cut): when two or more scenes are happening at the same time but in different locations. Often used to add tension
- Flash back: when a scene jumps back into the past to show what happens then. Often used to add background information
- Flash forward: when a scene jumps into the future to show what's gonna happen. Often used to create suspense
- Jump cut: a sudden change between two shots of the same scene. Often used to create a dramatic effect
Narrative Theories⊹ ࣪ ˖
The 5 narrative codes
A code is an aspect of a text from which the audience can derive meaning. We can do this through decoding or deconstructing the text. Here are the 5 narrative codes:
Hermeneutic codes
Hermeneutic codes are clues or mysteries in a story that make the audience curious and keep them watching. These codes raise questions, like “Who did it?” or “What will happen next?” By revealing answers slowly, they build suspense and keep the audience engaged. In the poster above, people might think about several questions that the movie might slowly answer as the audience watches. The explosions and planes crashing helps the audience predict that a war/fight might happen.
Proairetic codes
Proairetic codes are clues in a story that create suspense and make the audience curious about what will happen next. They are usually small actions or events, like a character hearing a strange noise or reaching for a weapon. These moments keep the audience interested by hinting that something important is about to happen, building tension and moving the story forward.
Semantic codes
Semantic codes are hints that help us understand what’s happening in a scene. These hints can be things like colors, symbols, or objects. For example, a red rose might show love, or dark lighting might show danger. Semantic codes give extra meaning, helping the audience feel or understand things without being told directly.
Symbolic codes
Symbolic codes are simple things that stand for bigger ideas. For example, in the picture above, the red light saber indicates that the character holding it is evil and strong. These things help the audience understand the story better without using words.
Cultural codes
Cultural codes in media are signs or symbols that show ideas or beliefs in a culture. These can be things like clothes, music, colors, or how people act, which help explain a story. For example, in the picture above, we can see Islamic symbols mixed in with fonts that look similar to the Arabic letters. This indicates that the picture is leaning to the Islamic culture. These codes help the audience understand what’s happening based on what people know from their culture.
